Gardeners are being urged to leave apples and pears in the garden this November for a very important reason.Alex Evans Deputy Audience Editor and Sam Dimmer East Midlands Head of Brand
07:45, 05 Nov 2025
Apples should be left outside for birds this winter(Image: Getty)
It’s a wonderful sight at any time of year, you pull back your curtains, peer into your garden and witness a flock of birds gathering in your outdoor space, feeding, drinking and chattering away.
Regrettably, it’s becoming increasingly rare these days as bird populations face threats from demographic issues, food shortages, climbing temperatures and habitat loss.
Gardeners across the UK have anecdotally reported spotting fewer of our feathered companions in gardens, and this is supported by the Natural History Museum, which states that ‘almost half of all UK bird species’ are in decline over the past five years.
That’s why gardeners are being urged to step in and take action to help nourish the birds in their green space, particularly during the colder autumn months leading into winter, such as in November, as food sources become increasingly scarce.
The RSPB is encouraging people to venture out and provide food for the birds to consume, including peanuts and seeds with chilli powder on, but also sliced fruits.
Damaged apples and pears make excellent food for birds in the summer, the charity has said.
And if you’re fortunate enough to have cooking apple or Bramley apple trees in your garden, you should leave some out for the birds rather than harvest them all, reports the Express.
The RSPB told gardeners: “When buying bird food, try to get a good mix of seed, peanuts, suet and mealworms.
“Fruit, especially bruised apples and pears, will be popular with thrushes and Blackbirds. Household scraps like pastry, cooked rice and breadcrumbs should only be offered in small amounts occasionally.”
Garden enthusiasts are being urged to utilise bird tables where feasible and leave food out for our feathered friends.
It’s also important to maintain cleanliness on the bird table, and ‘brush off debris’ each time you replenish the food, to prevent the spread of disease through decaying food.
The common sparrow in the UK(Image: Getty)
The RSPB further advised: “Bird table and feeder hygiene is very important. Brush off debris every time you put out fresh food and scrub the table with a mild disinfectant solution weekly. Move the table from time to time to stop droppings building up underneath. Water containers should be rinsed out daily, especially during the warmer months, and allowed to dry out before fresh water is added.”
But just how severe is the crisis facing birds?
The Natural History Museum revealed: “Between 2015 and 2020, almost half of all bird species declined, with woodland bird species being the most affected.
“New data released by the UK government reveals that 48% of bird species have shown a decrease in just five years between 2015 and 2020. Birds such as the turtle dove, capercaillie, tree sparrow and grey partridge are now less than a tenth of their numbers from 50 years ago.”
Reacting to the survey findings, Beccy Speight, Chief Executive of RSPB, stated: “The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the startling declines of some of our once common birds.
“They no longer have the abundance across the UK that they used to have. We are in a nature and climate emergency and we’ve lost 38 million birds from our skies in the last 50 years.”
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